Bateman, C. (July 2006) Game Writing Narrative Skills for Videogames. USA: Charles River Media
Crawford, C. (Oct 2004) Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling. USA: New Riders
Bal, M. (2009) Narratology, Introduction to the Theory of Narrative. University of Toronto Press, 3rd Ed
Murray, J. (1997) Hamlet On the Holodeck. The Free Press

Students will learn the development of the interactive narrative design and examine the complex issues surrounding the nexus of play, storytelling, and the mechanics of games design by learning about:

-Structuralist and post-structuralist narratological concepts and theories
-Deconstruct texts, films and games into basic structures that can be easily identified and utilised in the analysis of other narrative content.
-Classical ways of understanding stories
-Classical methods of designing and writing stories
-How and why players interact with the narrative content of games.

The module will look into current industry debates and academic theory, and students will be expected to

-Develop a design ethos for interactive narrative design.
-Research and analysis of current debates in the games industry
-Research and analysis issues inherent in interactive story design.
-Design their own interactive narratives
-Provide a detailed analysis of their own design ethos.

Normally 2 hour lecture/tutorial per week delivered as 8 weeks intensive Lecture/Tutorial followed 4 weeks of surgery sessions each semester.

The module will be delivered using a combination of lectures and interactive tutorials as well as practical workshop sessions in the second semester.

Weekly reflective journal entries based upon Engaging in a Paper Based RPG. (Learning Outcome 2) 15% weighting

Analyse the RPG Module Played in regard to course theory (Max 1000 words) (Learning Outcome 4) 35% weighting

Briefly analyse the Narrative structure of a Character Driven Game released in the last 2 years – Use flow charts to represent the branching narratives of the story and discuss the development of the main protagonist throughout the game (Max 1000 words) (Learning Outcome 1) 15% weighting

Design and Produce a Narrative Based Game using Story Dice as concept starters & Twine (or an engine of your choice). Document the planning, playtesting & production of your game in a document and reflect upon Feedback on your game and any future developments. (Learning Outcome 3) 35% weighting

1) ANALYSE THE NARRATIVE STRUCTURE OF A COMPUTER GAME.
Analysis

2) DEMONSTRATE A KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF STORY STRUCTURES, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND NARRATIVE ELEMENTS.
Knowledge & Understanding

3) CRITICALLY APPRAISE OTHER GAMES AND PRODUCE COMPETENT JUDGEMENTS OF THE POSSIBLE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THEIR NARRATIVE.
Problem Solving

4) COMMUNICATE A LOGICAL AND COHESIVE NARRATIVE STRUCTURE WITH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IN THE FORM OF A NARRATIVE STRUCTURE DOCUMENT FOR A COMPUTER GAME.
Application